Also known as: Mazandaran Sea, Khazar Sea, Khvalyn Sea
With the largest volume of any saltwater "lake" on earth, the Caspian Sea holds well over 62 billion acre-feet of saltwater. Many classify the Caspian Sea not as a lake, but as an inland sea. (There is no widely accepted definition of "lake," but most exclude bodies of saltwater.) Considered by many ...

Also known as: Lake Baykal, Sacred Sea, Pearl of Siberia, Blue Eye of Siberia, Galapagos of Russia
Russia's national treasure, Lake Baikal, is the world's deepest lake and is our planet's largest freshwater lake measured by water volume. Its bottom is 4,215 feet below sea level. Lake Baikal contains about 1/5 of Earth's unfrozen surface freshwater. It is also one of the most biologically diverse ...

Located in the Western Great Rift Valley of Africa, the crystal clear water of Lake Tanganyika reaches across four countries - Burundi, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania. Stretching 420 miles, this lake is the longest freshwater lake in the world and has a maximum width of 31 miles ...

Skipping over state and country borders, Lake Superior, the largest, deepest, coldest, cleanest, least developed, and most pristine of the Great Lakes, reigns as the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. By volume, this 31,820 square mile colossus ranks fourth - a whopping 2,900 cubic ...

Lake Michigan and Lake Huron - two of North America's Great Lakes - are contiguous and they share the same elevation of 577 feet above sea level. They are connected by the five-mile-wide Straits of Mackinac. Hydrologically, this makes these "two lakes" a single lake. Some hydrologists designate the ...

Also known as: Lake Nyasa, Lake Nyassa, Lake Niassa, Lago Niassa
Located in the East African Rift Valley system between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, Lake Malawi -- also known as Lake Nyasa, Lake Nyassa, Lake Niassa, and Lago Niassa -- is the third-largest lake in Africa at over 7,314,319 acres. It also has the distinction of being the second deepest lake in Africa ...

As the only Great Lake nestled completely within the boundaries of the United States, Lake Michigan is the pride and joy of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The lake boasts a huge area of 22,400 square miles, making it the largest freshwater lake (by surface area) in the world to be contained ...

A glacial lake of epic proportions, Lake Huron is the second largest of the five Great Lakes by surface area, boasting 23,010 square miles and an incredible 3,825-mile shoreline. The massive lake is the third largest of the Great Lakes by water volume, containing 850 cubic miles of fresh water within ...

Also known as: Victoria Nyanza, Victoria Ukerewe, Victoria Nalubaale
Lake Victoria -- also known as Victoria Nyanza, Ukerewe, and Nalubaale -- rakes in the superlatives: it is the largest lake on the African continent by surface area, the largest tropical lake in the world, and the second largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Joined by five others, Lake ...

Great Bear Lake is located in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is a natural lake, encircled by wilderness, and the largest lake completely in Canada. Great Bear Lake is on the Arctic Circle and ice-covered eight months out of the year. With an area of over 7 million acres and more than 26 islands, ...

Also known as: Ysyk Kol, Issyk-Kol
Little-known Lake Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan is poised to become Central Asia's most famous tourism destination. Popular among citizens of the former USSR, the new and refurbished resorts and health spas of Issyk Kul are now open for business and beckon all those with an adventurous spirit to the second-largest ...

Lake Ontario, one of the world's five Great Lakes, weaves over state and country borders, delighting Americans, Canadians, and visiting tourists with its deep, clear, clean waters. Proudly home to a staggering 4,700,000 acres (7,340 square miles), Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes, the ...

Great Slave Lake is the fifth-largest lake (by acreage) in North America and, following Great Bear Lake, is the second-largest in Canada. A natural lake, it is located in south-central Northwest Territories (NWT). Located just south of the Arctic Circle, Great Slave Lake is frozen about five and a half ...

Also known as: Strangford Lake, Loch Cuan, Strangford
Strangford Lough (Lake) is a 37,066-acre inland, tidal, salt water lake off the east coast of County Down in Northern Ireland. Separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula, the lake is almost totally landlocked. An eight-mile long, fast-running channel known as the Narrows leads into the more ...

Also known as: Lake Ericht
Hidden in the shadow of Ben Alder Munro or Mountain, Loch Ericht is a beautiful freshwater lake on the border between Perth and Kinross and the Highlands Council areas of Scotland. At 5,532 acres (22.39 square km), Loch Ericht is one of the less commercialized lakes in the region which makes it the ...

Also known as: Lake Laatokka, Ladozhskoye Ozero
Located 25 miles north of St. Petersburg, Russia's Lake Ladoga is the largest freshwater body in Europe with a surface area of 4,481,238 acres. The amazing lake stretches for 136 miles across northwestern Russia and has an average width of 51 miles. There are 660 islands in the lake and over 32 rivers ...

Located on the border of Peru and Bolivia is the largest freshwater lake by volume in South America, Lake Titicaca. With an elevation of 12,507 feet, this million year old lake is also one the world's highest commercially navigable lakes. All along the shores are native villages where traces of their ...

Also known as: Loch Feabhail
Standing on the stoop of his holiday cottage looking out over the water of Lough Foyle, he was struck by how closely the 44,000 acre estuary matched his expectations. With its rocky shore set against the backdrop of County Donegal's cliffs and mountains, Lough Foyle (Irish name-Loch Feabhail) is exactly ...

Also known as: Van Goiu
Turkey's Lake Van is a spectacular example of a very old lake surrounded by a very old culture. Located in the far eastern area of Turkey called Anatolia near the border with Iraq, Iran and Armenia, this ancient portion of the Silk Road has been conquered and re-conquered so many times that it's difficult ...

Also known as: Lac Kivu
Lake Kivu is one of the youngest of the African Great Lakes. Located in the Rift Valley, Lake Kivu is thought to be only 15,000 years old. Forming part of the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the lake formed during the Pleistocene Era when volcanic events in the Virunga ...

Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes of North America, straddles the borders of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, and the Canadian province of Ontario. The lake is named after the Native American tribe that inhabited its shores before being killed off by the Iroquois League for aiding their enemy, ...

Surrounded by Alberta's wide-open spaces and endless Canadian skies, Gull Lake is located in Alberta's Central tourism region. Well situated between Edmonton and Calgary in south-central Alberta, Gull Lake attracts a growing number of seasonal residents. Gull Lake's 19,917-acre surface area lies across ...

Also known as: Lake Hovsgol
Often referred to as "The Dark Blue Pearl", Lake Khovsgol is Mongolia's largest and deepest lake. Located in the northernmost province and surrounded by wooded mountains, Lake Khuvsgul is 84 miles long, 22 wide, 860 feet deep and sits at an altitude of 5,397 feet above sea level. It is frozen from January ...

Lake Winnipeg is a long (271 miles) somewhat shallow outdoor enthusiast's dream. It's located some 35 miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba and is a natural favorite for Canadian residents as well as visitors. Lake Winnipeg's beautiful beaches, provincial parks and uncluttered waters afford a wealth of ...

Also known as: Lago Argentino, Lake Argentino
Argentino Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Argentina, covers a massive 362,255 acres in the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. The lake lies within the Los Glaciares National Park, tucked away in the Andes Mountains. The landscape of the area is definitely unique with its massive ice ...